These Kindergarteners Earn Gold Stars For Diversity, Cuteness and Snuggleability

Winter Springs, FL (November 10, 2009) Remember when your success in school was measured in gold stars and smiley face stickers, rather than letter grades? Or when the toughest part of the day was when mom or dad had to say goodbye in the morning? Adorable Kinders® Rag Dolls are a reminder of the sweet simplicity of Kindergarten, and the joy that classic toys can bring to children.

Adorable Kinders® are high-quality rag dolls based on a diverse group of kindergarten friends. There are 26 Adorable Kinders Rag Dolls, one doll for each letter of the alphabet-- from Alise to Zachary. Together, the 26 rag dolls represent a wide variety of physical appearances and personalities.

The dolls were designed for durability, but safety and comfort were also huge factors. They re made of 100% soft cloth, with no hard or plastic parts, making them a perfectly comfortable nap or nighttime pal. Each doll weighs less than 2 lbs., so they ve got enough heft to feel substantial without weighing a child down.

Adorable Kinders classic look and attention to detail and safety has not gone unnoticed. The Adorable Kinders have already won seven of the top toy industry awards in 2009, including being named to Dr. Toy s 10 Best Toys of 2009 List, and earning a NAPPA Gold Award. The Toy Man gave the Adorable Kinders four awards, below is an excerpt from his review.

Every detail of this rag doll demonstrates a design with a meticulous effort. What I personally found most captivating with Mari, (the sample submitted to us), was how Mari had such an exquisite level of detail in every facet of her design. This was especially so with the dress and other garments which Mari was so proud to wear. As people held Mari, they were literally captivated by the charisma which she seems to exude. She wasn't just a rag doll to them, rather, Mari was seen as seen as so much more; a potential educational tool and friend for their children.

Here s a look at the award-winning line:

Adorable Kinders Rag Dolls - $59.99
Each 18 Adorable Kinders Rag Doll is made in the USA, and stuffed with non-allergenic 100% polyester. Dolls come in a colorful, removable outfit with separate underwear, socks and shoes with super-soft yarn hair. All Adorable Kinders Rag Dolls and their outfits are washable. Dolls come with an internet key-code that can be used to register for the Adorable Kinders eSchool. Choose from 26 different styles, one doll for each letter of the alphabet. Ages 2+.

Adorable Kinders Accessories - Most accessories are $8.99- $59.99
First day of school? Maybe it s time for bed? Or a holiday party? There are Adorable Kinders outfits available for every major event. Accessories include dress-up outfits, pajamas, shoes, clothes hangers and more.

Adorable Kinders aren't just about being a classic. The Adorable Kinders are bringing the rag doll into the 21st century with a fun and challenging online game zone called Adorable Kinders (AK) eSchool. Each doll comes with a unique internet key-code that children can use, with their parent s permission and assistance, to create a username and access the online area.

The AK eSchool is full of activities to help develop a child s computer, reading and problem-solving skills. School starts at the Kindergarten level, and children complete challenges using their knowledge of letters, numbers, patterns, and rhymes to unlock the next level, or grade. Each grade level presents children with harder challenges. eSchoolers can currently unlock up to the 4th grade level, with more grades and zones coming this December.

Outside of eSchool, there are additional activities available at www.adorablekinders.com. Kids can choose from the 26 Adorable Kinders characters and play house with them, create a printable greeting card or sticker sheet using their favorite Adorable Kinders doll, or have fun coloring on a digital coloring page.

The Adorable Kinders line has developed into what it is today thanks to a mother's desire to fulfill her late son s dream. Aranza Zamora-Goodenbury began hand-making rag dolls at age 16 in her native Puerto Rican home. They were such a hit, she began making rag dolls regularly, and each was better than the last. Despite her passion for making the dolls, motherhood and other careers soon took over. In her free time, Aranza still created rag dolls and was interested in producing a line of dolls and computer games based on her dolls. It wasn t until her son Ivan got involved that the idea took off, and the two of them began to work on the product full-time.

Just as the product design and concept was coming together, Aranza s son Ivan passed away from an undetected heart condition. Struck with grief and missing her business partner, Aranza tabled the rag doll project.

A few years later, Aranza gave one of her rag dolls to a friend s daughter for her birthday. Everyone at the birthday party, including the dads, fell in love with this simple yet extraordinary rag doll. Future business partner and husband, Greg Goodenbury, was at that party and saw everyone s reaction to Aranza s doll. After more than a year of planning, Greg and Aranza decided to proceed with the rag doll project. They also got married!

Together they formed GRANZA, Inc. a name created by combining the names Greg and Aranza, and developed a line of 26 doll characters and the Adorable Kinders eSchool. They decided to keep operations based in the U.S., to help create local jobs. The 26 characters they created represent a wide range of ethnicities, hair colors and personalities much like you would find in any kindergarten classroom.

Specialty toy retailers have reported back an interesting trend regarding Adorable Kinders. They ve noted that when a parent picks out a doll for their child, they pick the one that s the closest match in skin tone and hair color; whereas, if a child picks out a rag doll for themselves, they re more likely to pick one with little resemblance.

We love how this pattern shows how children can be so open-minded and loving, and not only accepting of differences, but the fact that children don t even see them as differences, co-creator Greg Goodenbury said.

ABOUT GRANZA, INC
GRANZA s mission is to create high-quality products that are not only fun for children, but that spark their imaginations. The company s Adorable Kinders® soft-cloth rag dolls were created as a lasting legacy of creator Aranza Zamora-Goodenbury s late son, Ivan. The 26 ethnically diverse dolls are a variation of the rag doll Aranza has been making by hand since she was 16 years old.